by Angela White
John grinned up at her when she looked down in surprise. Her long hair was loose–she’d been about to brush it–and the elderly man tangled his fingers in it softly. “Miss you, baby.”
Anne had only been thinking about sleep, but the feel of her husband’s hands on her after so long after so long. “Mmm…”
John felt life flow into other areas of his body and felt tears try to rise. He shoved them back, gently wrapping his arms around Anne’s waist. “I’d like to try to love you.”
Anne knelt down, bringing herself within reach. He looked younger, but it was how he felt that meant the most, and Anne was grateful. So much that she’d sworn to find a way to give Angela what she wanted most–to be accepted for who she really was.
“We’ll sleep in the camper tonight.”
“Where the beds are higher.”
They said it at the same time and spent a great moment laughing and holding each other as they had for most of their marriage.
3
“Shooters to the line,” Adrian called.
Angela was now standing along the tent wall with thoughts that were no clearer. Samantha and Cynthia were neck-and-neck in most of the areas she’d compared so far. By small margins, Samantha was better in the cage, and Cynthia was better with a gun. They were neat, organized, and tough. The others who’d shot tonight weren’t anywhere near as good, though Leslie’s surprising bulls-eye had given her third among the twelve who had tried. Having Peggy and Hilda line up had been something of a shock. Angela almost hoped they chickened out when the harder tests came. Getting those two to follow orders would be a nightmare for any team leader.
Angela thought about the current camp rumor and snickered. Maybe not for Doug.
“Some of the Eagles in my army have backgrounds that give them an advantage.”
Lingering with his team, Marc’s head snapped up at the familiar words.
The crowd also fell silent.
“Challenges can now be issued during a level test,” Adrian informed them. “Would anyone like to?”
Kenn’s big shoulders moved through the crowd that began to cheer and bet.
“I’ll offer a challenge to Brady for top gun in camp,” Kenn stated, taking his place with the other shooters.
“Do you accept?” Adrian asked Marc.
Marc grinned. “You know it.”
“What happens when I win?” Kenn asked, ignoring his stinging jaw. The other three men looked worse than he did. “Does he fail?”
Adrian nodded. “Yes. From now on, you have to be able to defend your title. If you can’t, it’s gone.”
Meaning those who were getting by on lucky shots and other people’s misses, were SOL. Eagles groaned as the camp cheered.
“I also have a personal challenge,” Kenn stated. For the moment, he was accepted again as one of Adrian’s men, and it felt better than he’d remembered. “Plates.”
The betting went up as Adrian agreed. “Another challenge has been issued. Do you accept?”
Marc’s inner man had already been given permission to come out. “Yep. Got one to offer myself. How about you join us?”
Adrian hadn’t expected that, it was clear by the look on his face.
His answer, however, came from the heart. “I’d love to.”
The crowd was starting to get slightly unruly now, and Neil waved his bruised team into the mob, giving them instructions to keep things calm while Adrian was occupied. In the rear of the throng, Kyle’s team was doing the same thing, under Daryl’s command.
Many of the other shooters wanted in on the action, but all of them seemed to know this was a leadership moment and didn’t thrust themselves into it. The camp loved these three men the most and wanted them to have one moment in time where they got just that trio and the magic that might come with it.
Billy hobbled out of the way as Greg hefted a small crate of plates onto a nearby bale of hay. He would throw while Billy called it.
“On my mark,” Billy stated. Overseeing the shooters was all he could do with a broken leg.
Adrian took his place between Marc and Kenn, pausing to let his herd have the full effect of them standing together. Adrian and his hard defenders. The only thing missing was...
Angela came through the crowd and took up a place along the front wall to watch.
Samantha and Cynthia, chatting lightly, came on her heels and chose nearby spots. During their off time, those two females were staying around Angela, much like Kyle’s team had done with him in the beginning.
Adrian turned to make eye contact with the senior men on duty that he could see. All of them nodded alertly, and he let himself shrug off the leader’s cloak for the fighter’s jacket. He couldn’t help the small part of him that wanted to beat Marc, but he didn’t stress over it. It was his job to rattle the man–personal satisfaction came second to the lessons–and he would try not to enjoy winning too much.
Angela picked up the thought and understood that Adrian didn’t plan to hold back. Marc didn’t either. That tiger would probably never see the inside of a cage again.
“Anyone else want a piece of the action? Ten to one on the XOs, with Adrian the fave!”
Angela raised her hand. “I’ll take a part of that.”
Alex quickly wrote her name down. “What order?”
The crowd kept calling their own bets, sure of who she would place to win.
“Adrian, Kenn, Brady.”
Silence except for heads whipping around.
Angela grinned as she stared at Marc’s shocked face. “Care to prove me wrong?”
Marc felt that edge slam into him with a brutal chill. Her taste came to his lips, that sweet, mysterious odor he wanted to drown in, and Marc hooked his hands into his belt. “Care to make a personal wager on it?”
Angie chuckled as the crowd voiced approval. “I think so. Depends on what you had in mind.”
Marc’s eyes went to her lips. He pulled back the first thought in favor of not embarrassing her. “A date.”
Angela snorted as the crowd chuckled. “We’ve passed that already.”
Marc shook his head. “Not like what I have in mind.”
Angela shrugged. “And when you lose?”
The crowd oohed and groaned at the direct challenge.
Marc’s eyes went dark, dangerous. “I’ll tell John to clear you for full duty.”
Angela grunted amid the laughs and frowns. “Damn, Brady. I’m already betting against you. I didn’t really want to see you fail, but...”
The crowd roared, and those who knew it wasn’t a joke anymore, pretended otherwise. Angela had hurt him a bit with the bet, even though it was meant to be a nerve challenge and nothing more, and he’d slapped her in return by dangling the freedom she longed for.
Adrian didn’t like it. Marc issued challenges to her regularly and she’d never struck out that way.
“Let’s start,” Adrian ordered, revealing none of his assumptions that said there was already trouble in paradise. Adrian didn’t want to make sure that Marc failed, but...
Not involved in the drama for a change, Kenn stepped up to the line. “Set.”
Billy tossed the first plate and Kenn’s gun crashed.
4
Neil moved away from the happy crowd to do a quick check on the camp. It had been a good day for Safe Haven. They were back on full water rations, their vehicles would be fully gassed and ready to roll when they were, the garden had been watered, and they’d saved a truckload of dogs from certain death. Neil was content in his duties, but the loneliness!
Sighing, he swept the shadows around the tape, nodding to perimeter men. When he spotted Kyle coming his way, Neil waited. There hadn’t been much said between them since Jennifer had come here. Whenever they were together, Neil’s guilt rose up at the reminder of another young girl who’d been abused.
Kyle stared at his former friend, wanting to explain, to accuse, to ask. He did none of those. Instead, he said, “Look at the female tents
for a minute. Tell me what you think I should do.”
Frowning, Neil did as instructed.
The shadows on the tent caught his attention and held it. On the floor, one hard body was lowering itself on top of a barely rounded second form. Neil realized which canvas it was–Seth had crossed the comfort line–and waited for his usual righteous anger to spew out.
So did Kyle.
The top shadow hesitated, head shaking. The one on the bottom arched a young body that either of the men watching would have taken right then. Seth visibly shuddered, but didn’t make any other movement.
“She’s using sex to handle her anger,” Neil stated, throat only allowing curt words. What had he done to her?
Kyle didn’t tell him that Becky hadn’t been repressing her anger. There were tray servers and duty men with the bruises to prove that. Neil had missed all the fun while staying away.
“She’ll become an Eagle if we leave them alone,” Kyle stated.
“And probably a camp whore not long after,” Neil protested. As a cop, he’d seen the pattern repeat itself again and again.
The top shadow thrust and a short cry was cut off.
The bottom shadow wiped away tears and held on, clearly refusing to let him stop.
“She’ll be strong, one of the first eight ruthless rookies Angela accepts,” Kyle stated, not acknowledging the revulsion or the jealousy he felt from watching the tent.
Neil paused in his automatic urge to interfere. “Is it fair, Becky getting that in exchange for being hurt?”
Neil wanted his conscience wiped clean, and Kyle couldn’t do it. “No. Nothing we ever do will equal the debt owed to her. She was sacrificed.”
Neil had known before he’d asked, but hearing the words was another form of the punishment he knew he’d be dealing himself for years to come. “I’ll support whatever she wants,” Neil decided. “He’s dead to me.”
Kyle got a few feet away before looking back. “Just Seth?”
Neil’s face tightened. “Will it make any difference in your plans?”
Kyle let out a defeated sigh. “No.”
Neil gestured angrily. “Then what does it matter?”
Kyle was tired of keeping the pain to himself. “It matters because we used to be tight, you jackass.”
Neil scowled. “Hey, you’re the one who–”
“Who what?”
Neil stopped the fight before it could go further. “Convince me, Kyle. Do that and we’re all good.”
Kyle reluctantly moved back to where Neil was standing. He didn’t want to let anyone in, but that it was common knowledge that he wanted Jennifer, and he needed a friend now more than ever.
5
Drowsing pridefully inside the medical camper, John suddenly stiffened. “Trouble.”
He gestured at Anne with wide, dismayed eyes. “Get your gun–right now!”
Also nearby, Charlie slowed, looking around. What was that noise?
The Eagles in the shadows did the same. They couldn’t hear anything, but watching Charlie and Angela’s reactions was natural now.
Hearing sharper, Dog nudged the teenager toward the nearby trees. Stay low.
Not arguing, Charlie did as he was instructed.
“Eekkk...”
The noise was lost in the sound of gunfire. And then a scream echoed.
Charlie started to stand and Dog pushed on him, forcing the boy down. Be still!
Charlie struggled against Dog’s weight. “Let me up. I have to help!”
They’ve come for young blood! Dog shoved hard, and knocked Charlie down so that he could curl onto the teenager’s chest and keep him there.
Marc nailed the plates as they were thrown, now on round three with all the shooters tied.
Crash! Crash!
“That’s a draw again, folks!”
Billy’s voice was nearly swallowed by the crowd groaning and laughing, paying on bets and making new ones. It was clear the three Marines were evenly matched, but Angela thought maybe Adrian had said something to Brady that had calmed him down. That hard glaze was gone, with a thoughtful concern now in its place when their eyes met.
Angela wasn’t sure what had caused the flip, but she was a bit disappointed. She liked Marc’s inner man. He knew how to handle her fears–he didn’t coddle her.
Marc holstered the Colt after reloading, and moved toward Adrian. “A new challenge?”
As if fate had taken the words personally, radios crackled.
“Boss, we need you at the com truck. No rush.”
“Copy.” Adrian looked toward Angela, who began searching, and then to Kenn, who quickly headed through the crowd.
“We’re calling this one a draw, folks. Which means Brady defended his title. That’s a pass.”
Adrian moved through the celebrating, grumbling, slightly tense herd with Eagles on his heels.
The mob now quieter, the odd noise came again and was heard by nearly everyone.
Eeekkkkk…
The sound was one of nails on a chalkboard, sending ice into veins.
Danger to the herd!
Crimson unease traveled the camp.
Samantha wiped both sweaty hands down her pants and brought them back up with a gun in each. That having two was better, more fulfilling somehow, was something Samantha had come to accept.
She moved quickly to Angela’s flank and saw Cynthia do the same with Adrian.
Eeeekkk!
“What is it, Boss?” Zack asked.
“Uninvited guests,” Adrian answered, struggling for a plan.
Eeekkkkk…
In the eerie stillness of the apocalyptic Kansas sky, a new sound echoed–one that Safe Haven’s people knew all too well. Wings.
The Eagles immediately pulled their air horns and began blindly blasting them toward the sky as the colony got closer, but it was already too late. The bat colony swarmed over Safe Haven like a river, washing through the camp in a panicked flurry of razor-sharp wings and hungry fangs. Their food source had also changed.
“Get to the mess!” Angela sent, causing radios to spark across the camp, but it was hard to hear over the blare of the air horns and the screaming.
Adrian reached Angela as she braced and began firing using both hands. He put his back to her, Brady coming to form the pyramid, and they blasted through the bats they could safely hit without striking anyone in the crossfire.
It wasn’t nearly enough.
“Where’s the caller?” Marc shouted, shooting in a pattern he hoped would detour the rest of the colony getting set to swarm. The screams were telling the other bats there was food down here.
“Our tent!” Angela answered, firing.
They went that way, aware of air horns dying, people falling under numerous winged rodents, and the angry crimson bubble rippling over the entire camp.
“Why isn’t it protecting us?” Marc yelled, steering them into the main camp. He stopped in shock at the sight of the front of the colony zeroing in on them.
The trio hit the ground as the bats swarmed. Side by side, they rolled onto their backs and continued to fire, reload and do it again, but it was like dipping water from a flooded ship with a spoon.
“Bring the shield up!” Adrian ordered.
“No!” Marc still wouldn’t sacrifice her for the rest when he realized Angela hadn’t told the shield to come up.
Angela began to gather herself, terrified of being exposed.
The colony began to retreat without warning, sweeping into the air in a long black tunnel of wings and screeching cries.
“Where are they going?”
“Is it over?”
Angela rolled to her feet, running for their tent. Brady stayed on her heels, scanning the injured for their son.
Adrian grabbed two Eagles running by. “Get the spotlights on and people blowing horns in the vehicles! Get help!”
Lee and Kevin rushed off, jerking other men with them.
Adrian saw another running form, but
didn’t try to get the mobster’s attention. Kyle was trying to make it to the livestock area, where Jennifer was helping the vet. The bat sounds from that area were loud, but the barking of the dogs was louder.
Above them, the shield flashed deeper crimson, lined in black wings as the colony circled to come in for another blast.
Eekkk!
6
Kyle hit the livestock area as the colony zoomed down; spotting Jennifer huddled under a metal table as the vet stood in front of it, waving a torch.
Kyle dropped to the ground, crawling. Bats slammed into his shoulders, his side, clawing and shrieking as he fought to get to her. Ahead of him, the bats were swarming Chris, wings ripping into his exposed skin.
Kyle jerked the air horn from his belt and activated it as he reached the vet who was now covered and on his knees.
The bats flinched away at the noise, and Kyle shoved the Chris toward the semi.
The horn gave a last, weak blast, and Kyle crawled to the crying girl, sliding his big body around her exposed skin.
Jennifer shook uncontrollably, face buried against Kyle’s arm and side as he protected her. Cramped up, she felt the first contraction coming and groaned against Kyle’s arm. Not again!
Jennifer shifted, taking the pressure off that side, and the cramp receded.
“Stay calm and don’t trigger your labor.”
John’s words came to her, and she concentrated on the sound of Kyle’s fast heartbeat as she relaxed her body. Kyle would keep the danger away, and she would keep herself from giving birth.
7
Whhooooo!
Angela spun the Caller harder, already knowing it wasn’t going to be enough. There was too much noise to detour the colony.
Whhhoooooo!
The blast knocked a large portion of the incoming line apart, sending corpses and stunned threats sliding into tents and corners, but the rest kept coming.
Angela threw herself to the ground as the colony flew over them, dropping the Caller in favor of her gun.
Next to her, Marc sensed the ambush coming and ripped free of his coat in time to wrap it over both of them and roll.
